After twenty-four weeks of the 2012-2013 broadcast television season (through Sunday, March 10, 2013), CBS is in first place among adults 18-49, with a 3.1 rating average, even with last season. FOX was second, with a 2.6 rating average, down 21% from last season. NBC was third with a 2.5, down 7% from last season. ABC was fourth with a 2.3, down 8% from last season. The CW finished last with a 0.7 adults 18-49 rating average, down 13% from the previous season.

Among total viewers, CBS is ahead for the season averaging 12.412 million viewers. ABC is second with 7.850m, followed by NBC with 7.361m, FOX with 7.131m, and CW with 1.854 million.

Each adults 18-49 rating point is a percentage of the adults 18-49 US TV population and equals 1.265 million adults 18-49. The season-to-date numbers are "Most Current" ratings, which are Live+7 Day for all but the two most recent weeks and Live+ Same Day for the two most recent weeks.

So its now official. NBC is in 3rd.
Voice/Revolution better return strong for NBC’s sake. Imagine if FOX decides to air more Idol on Monday or Tuesday? Remember when NBC aired The Voice on Wednesday and/or Thurs when X Factor just started their second season? Sweet Revenge.

THE OLD MAN

CBS is the only one even with last year

FOX should finish the season #2

http://tvbythenumbers.com Bill Gorman

Unrounded numbers

FOX 2.560274529
NBC 2.509080712
ABC 2.303287357

To move back ahead of Fox, NBC needs to beat Fox by 0.11 points/week. That gap will widen before The Voice returns in 2 weeks.
To move ahead of NBC, ABC needs to beat NBC by 0.45 points/week. That seems highly unlikely at this point.

aron

It Happened… It was expected that Fox would fare better than NBC in the spring but, although Idol is down it still closed the gap for Fox

@Bill gonna make any predictions for who gonna win next year?

http://tvbythenumbers.com Bill Gorman

“@Bill gonna make any predictions for who gonna win next year?”

Maybe before the start of the season next Sept., not at this point.

The CBS prediction for this year was too simple/obvious/etc., that’s the only reason I made it in May.

Leondre

My Predictions:

Idol will fall below a 3.0 in late april or May
The Voice will return around a 4.0 and then settle into mid to low 3s.
CBS will be 1st, FOX second, NBC third, ABC fourth.
The Middle (and possibly Modern Family) will grow from their year-ago finales if ABC schedules the finales on May 22. This year, they won’t have to face the Idol finale.

Fred

What an exciting ratings race this season. Especially between NBC and FOX.
NBC played dirty early this season by airing the The VOICE against X FACTOR. It paid off in the short term.

MARSEPH

Actually I believe that Idol will fall to under 3.0 during March Madness…

As for The Voice…it will debut poorly (low 4s) than fall to Idol (or even lower numbers).

I expect record lows this Spring…I mean like barely any shows over 3.5 demos

aron

I I dont think Idol will fall any lower

During the Fox winter upfronts, a reporter asked Kevin Reilley “what does he think about NBC airing the voice against the Xfactor season premire?”

Deadline -”Reilly was more subtle today when asked about NBC’s September decision to pit an original The Voice against the season premiere of X Factor. “It was slightly on the cheesy side,” Reilly said of the NBC move. “It went in the file for later reference,” Reilly added, indicating that the score will be evened in the future.”

So it is probally likely that he will put Idol against the Voice…or maybe he wants to hurt NBC more and air Idol multiply times against the voice, like at the beginning at the multiple stages of the competition

Max Vrany

@Bill, just for fun, how much would FOX need to beat CBS by to pass them?

Tom

It will be close, but I think NBC’s fallen enough the rest of the week that they will not catch up to Fox once the Voice returns. (Remember, SNF isn’t also coming back.)

It will be interesting to see if the Voice still has any halo effect on Revolution and Go On/New Normal; my thinking is they won’t bounce back as much, and that margin could be the difference keeping NBC in third.

Christian

@Leondre

It depends when May Sweeps is over. ABC probably won’t air their Wednesday comedy finales outside of that.

Christian

Oops @Leondre – didn’t realize you put May 22nd. Sounds about right they would schedule on that day.

NBC Fan

@aron

The Idol finale has been set for WEDNESDAY May 15 and THURSDAY May 16. Also, the top 10 has been chosen so I really don’t see a situation where Idol finds itself on Tuesday or Monday.

Ultima

@aronI dont think Idol will fall any lower

This must be the first season you’ve seen Idol ratings…

Also, I doubt that FOX will be airing Idol against The Voice at all this season. There’s plenty of ways in the future that FOX can mess with NBC.

@ChristianIt depends when May Sweeps is over.

May sweeps is 25 April through 22 May this year.

Fred

@Ultima,

I would love FOX to sabotage NBC because of what NBC did early this season